Two weeks after the line's <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/295737==http://www.electronista.com/articles/13/09/25/new.line.of.cards.features.some.models.with.audio. processing.on.card/" rel='nofollow'>initial introduction</a>, <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/295738==http://amd.com" rel='nofollow'>AMD</a> has further detailed its upcoming GPU line. Five cards will be available at launch, ranging from the entry-level single-width R7 240 card, the double-wide R7 250 and R7 260X to the more gaming-oriented R9 270X and R9 280X. The latter two cards have also been given concrete specifications by the GPU manufacturer, and will sell for up to $300. <br />
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Mantle software, included with the cards, assists game developers in developing on multiple platforms by taking advantage of similarities between GCN-powered PCs and consoles to simplify game development process. Mantle will be detailed further at the AMD Developer Summit, APU13, taking place November 11-13.<br />
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AMD TrueAudio technology gives game developers a programmable audio pipeline on the GPU. Enabled games can feature more realistic environmental dynamics, a wider array of sound effects, directional audio and more. AMD TrueAudio works in concert with the user's existing audio hardware, and will be available in the higher-end of the new range of R9 video cards.<br />
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The entry-level R7 240 has 320 stream processors, with the clock speed of the card running at up to 780 MHz. The card will be available with either 1GB of GDDR5 or 2GB of DDR3 VRAM. Memory speed has been clocked at 4.6 Gbps. The card draws only 30 watts, so no power connector is required for the single-width card. Outputs are DVI-Dual Link, VGA, and HDMI 1.3. No pricing is immediately available for the R7 240.<br />
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The R7 250 is a double-wide card, with 384 stream processors. The engine clock peaks at 1.05GHz. Memory configurations are the same as the 240, with either 1GB of GDDR5 or 2GB of DDR3 VRAM and a 4.6Gbps memory speed. The board draws 65W of power, so as with the R7 240, no power connector is required. Outputs are DVI-Dual Link, VGA, and HDMI 1.3. The entry-level card will retail for "under $89" according to AMD.<br />
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Moving up the line, the R7 260X card has 896 stream processors. At 1.1Ghz, the engine clock is a bit higher than the R7 250. Only one configuration of the card is available, and it has 2GB of of GDDR5 with 6.5Gbps of speed. A single six-pin power connector is required, as the card draws 115W of power. The card has one DVI-D port and one DVI dual link connector, a HDMI 1.3 port, and a DisplayPort. The R7 260X will sell for $139.<br />
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The fourth card released today is the R9 270X. The card has 1,280 stream processors, with the engine clock speed at 1.06GHz. Two configurations are available with 2GB or 4GB of GDDR5 installed, running at 5.6Gbps. Two six-pin power connectors are required, as the card draws 180W. Two DVI dual link ports, a HDMI port, and a DisplayPort provide monitor connectivity. The 2GB R9 270X is expected to retail for $199, with the R9 270X with 4GB available for $229.<br />
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Capping the day's announcements, the R9 280X boasts 2,048 stream processors, with an engine clock up to 1GHz. The card mounts 3GB of GDDR5 memory, with a 6Gbps speed. The card draws 250W, and requires one six-pin, and one eight-pin power connector. As with the R9 270X, the R9 280X has Two DVI dual link ports, a HDMI port, and a DisplayPort provide monitor connectivity. As the king of the line, the R9 280X will sell for $299.<br />